Recruiting: 3D Blue Chip Tryout Recap, Northeast Region

Competing for a spot in Jake Reed's Nike Blue Chip, promising talent from all over the Northeast (as well as a few other states) took to sunny Florida. Instructed with innovative methodology by 3D's coaches, players from four different classes then played a combined four games on Saturday and Sunday after Friday's check-in and training sessions.

Two national evaluators sat at the fields for each grade, evaluating them against all five regions (rather than players at that specific weekend) to ensure that the best players from all regional players attend Nike Blue Chip, with invites going out in a few weeks. Please keep in mind that the observations below are mine alone, switching between four fields all weekend - I have no influence over who gets invited.

For any corrections, notes, commitments, etc., feel free to drop me a line at txanders@insidelacrosse.com.

2015's

James Davison, G, Wharton (Fla.) / Tampa Bay Fire Davison was peppered with shots throughout the weekend and was up to the task, filling up much of the cage with his size and making some big-time stops. Outlets were clean and immediate and communication was more than adequate. Nice prospect from the Sunshine State.

Gabe Maxwell, A, St. Sebastian's (Mass.) / 3D I loved the way the lefty played, displaying an excitable brand of craftiness around the cage. On one play, he threw a nifty fake BTB, stepped away and scored, raising the eyebrows of national evaluators on the sidelines. His foot speed isn't the best but Maxwell will likely find his way onto a D1 or high DIII roster.

Jack Kunowsky, M, Severn (Md.) / Looney's LC An outstanding athlete out of the MIAA, Kunowsky is a horse at the midfield who makes things happen. His hustle and physical downhill dodging style was showcased well on Saturday and Sunday, also showing the ability to make a handful of nice defensive plays. I'm surprised that despite a strong summer he still doesn't have a collegiate home.

Austin Lison, D, Loudon County (Va.) / SMS Here's a kid who in my eyes was the most impressive longpole in the '15 group, showing prowess both 1-on-1 and off-ball. A big body, Lison uses his stick extremely well, takes great position and makes a strong impact whenever he's on the field.

Noah Dewey, A, Loudon County (Va.) / SMS Gotta highlight another NoVa kid (though he recently moved from Southern California) here for a big game on Saturday evening. Talk about efficiency - Dewey tore it up, depositing four goals on his first four shots. Smooth player who finishes plays but also rides his tail off.

2016's

Eric Zimm, A, Salisbury (Conn.) / FLG I was impressed with this lefty scorer, a Manhasset (N.Y.) native who is repeating at Salisbury School. Zimm moves impeccably off the ball and does a good job getting underneath his man as well as showing prowess shooting from the outside. Could be a solid contributor for the Crimson Knights this spring.

Walker Hare, G, Libertyville (Ill.) / Libertyville Warriors Possessing hands so quick that it's almost as if he knows where the ball is headed before it is released, Hare made waves with double digit saves in the opener and kept it rolling. If he touches up his clearing game, Hare will be an even better goalie recruit.

Patrick Foley, D, St. John's Prep (Mass.) / 3D An outstanding athlete, Foley has excellent range and stickwork, an attribute he used well in transition. The lefty was a nuisance to dodge against whether it was up top or behind the cage and did a great job getting the ball upfield to his teammates on clears. Looked to be one of the best (if not the best) defensemen at the event.

Michael Alessie, A, Georgetown Prep (Md.) / Team 203 The Milford (Conn.) native, a transfer for the Little Hoyas, stands out right away with his impressive skill level. Though I only watched his squad for just over a half, I liked his smarts and craftiness around GLE.

Zach White, A, Malvern Prep (Pa.) / NXT Add White to the list of super-talented sophomore attackmen for the Friars. Looking confident running the offense, White is a complete player with terrific vision and amble quickness. Also showed the ability to really contribute in unsettled situations and contribute in the riding game.

Peter Briggs, LSM/D, Montgomery Bell Academy (Tenn.) / No-Excuse A lanky but physical pole from a pretty well-respected program in the South, Briggs showed off a great handle in transition but also looked great sticking his man, using sound footwork and positioning. Very solid off-ball as well.

2017's

Schuyler Blair, A, Ridgefield (Conn.) / Superstar I remember hearing about Blair's playmaking ability and this past weekend he lived up to those expectations. An excitable player who was efficient both with the ball in his stick and without it, he had a bunch of impressive plays over the weekend, including an excellent toe drag. Lots of upside.

Thomas Tenney, A, Taft (Conn.) / PrimeTime This kid has the potential to be one of the best attackmen in the class. Tenney has phenomenal hands and athleticism, putting himself in the right positions off-ball to score. Dodges with his head up and always seemed to make the right choices when carrying. Wouldn't be surprised to see him make a strong impact as a frosh.

Jake Mueller, D, Bishop Hendricken (R.I.) / 3D New England Mueller looks the part of a defenseman who could be a great Division I prospect down the road. Strong enough to really irritate his man around GLE but also quick-footed enough to keep up with midfielders up top, he seldom got beat all weekend and was key on groundball play.

Josh Rotman, M, Sharon (Mass.) / 3D New England Rotman may not jump off the page at first glance but is the type of player who appeared more and more solid as I continued to watch him. Does a lot of things well and dodged the alleys with ease at times, displaying a nice shot on the run. Lots of potential on Rotman, who has an older brother on the team at Salisbury.

Ryan O'Connell, M, New Canaan (Conn.) / CT Chargers The Fairfield County product looks to be an excellent midfield prospect, armed with a quick release and shot selection as well as athleticism shown on both ends of the field. Seemed to be fundamentally sound and coachable, executing exactly what his coach told him.

Sean Barry, A, Smithtown East (N.Y.) / Express Tenacious Turtles Watched Barry on Sunday afternoon and came away impressed with the Long Island product who plays on arguably the top 2017 club team in the nation. Possesses terrific wrists, allowing him to throw a ton of nifty fakes to stifle netminders and played hard, acting as a key cog for Team 2.

2018's

Hayden Cheek, M, Noble & Greenough (Mass.) / Laxachusetts Coming from an athletic family, Cheek looks to be another great lacrosse talent (his brother will play at Harvard). He's a highly capable alley dodger with a heavy shot on the run but really just does a lot of things well, making important plays over the field and distributing in transition.

Anthony Marinello, LSM/D, Belmont Hill (Mass.) / Top Gun Littlenecks A very promising cover man, Marinello was always around the ball making life difficult for the opposition. Clears well, showed a great ability as a LSM off the wing and had some great checks including a few nice trails. Love Marinello's potential

Jack Collins, A, Marblehead (Mass.) / 3D New England Few players in the 2018 division scored as much as Collins. Operated without the ball in a fantastic manner and also kept his feet moving when dodging from X, almost always putting the ball in the back of the net. Great hands and ability to handle heavy contact from defenders.

Mason Balch, A, Westfield (Mass.) / Elong Spartans Really crafty, creative player for his age. Balch finishes plays with flare, executing a few pretty behind-the-back plays, drawing ooh's and ah's from the sidelines. Foot speed was strong and Balch also made things happen in the riding game.

Andrew Hurdle, M, Cathedral (Md.) / Baltimore Crabs I really dug Hurdle's tenacity at both the face-off X and when dodging from up top, often using a great frame and IQ to his advantage. If he improves his foot speed and gets more consistency on his shot, he could be a very good one. Older brother, Alex, is a Top 50 senior defenseman bound for Notre Dame.